Project: Dedicated computer running Sega emulator

**bohokii** · 07-19-2009, 08:47 PM

i made a mame arcade also i use it to play atari 2600 games

i made it when nesticle/callus/genecyst came out the computer i use is so old it barely runs mame but the bloodlust emus work fine

**nathanallan** · 07-19-2009, 09:31 PM

Well, dammit, I can't find the sound drivers for this board and the frekkin bios won't let me disable it (onboard audio). A seperate sound card will cause a conflict, so that machine is out.

I have another board that was going to be for phase 2, I'll use it. I have a case but it's not optimal, but that's okay, too, I can use it anyway and recase it later. iirc, this board is a 700mhz P3 with a 128 and a 256 ram chips in it. Better suited and better video.

Just a setback, not a problem. I think I will go with win2kpro because 95 is too clunky. I was aiming for low overhead with that machine, the whole reason I was using it in the first place.

Will update.

So if anyone has a case that's mini-atx (not micro ITX) that's from an older computer I will be in the market for it soon.

**kool kitty89** · 07-20-2009, 04:55 AM

A note, Fusion 3.6 maxes out my Athlon XP 1600+ (1.4 GHz) running Win XP with quality settings maxed. (dropping audio quality really seems to have a minimal effect) This is with less than 10% background usage. (~2-8%)

**nathanallan** · 07-20-2009, 05:07 AM

I'm leaning toward Gens, it runs seamlessly on my machine here, on an Athlon 1.7ghz. It also multitasks so I figure if I have the P3 running it and nothing else all will be well.

**gamevet** · 07-20-2009, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by ThugsRook

166mhz aint enough.
playing from cdrom really sux.

try...
at least 600mhz.
playing from USB thumbdrive.
dedicated video card.

Or a modded Xbox. You can get an old Xbox for $55 now, and there are softmods available.

**ThugsRook** · 07-20-2009, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

A note, Fusion 3.6 maxes out my Athlon XP 1600+ (1.4 GHz) running Win XP with quality settings maxed. (dropping audio quality really seems to have a minimal effect) This is with less than 10% background usage. (~2-8%)

which plugin are you using?

**kool kitty89** · 07-21-2009, 04:22 AM

Originally Posted by ThugsRook

which plugin are you using?

I don't have any video plugin selected, and there's none to select with the straight downloaded version I've got. (and I haven't downloaded one) It's all stock, blocky 320x224 (depending on game) video. (occasionally I play in "TV mode, but this doesn't seem to effect things)

With other processes going on, I don't notice any glitches until around 30% of CPU is utilized elsewhere (starting with a little bit of frame rate drop and audio lag, then some audio artifacting/choppiness and lots of choppiness by the time it's around 50%)

**chinitosoccer** · 07-21-2009, 05:02 AM

Old modded XBOX + component cables + vga 2000 + Extron Emotia (to convert 480p into 240p) + CRT TV with component inputs = true low resolution and the best quality display for retro gaming you can get for just a few bucks.

+

=

YES!!, 240P ON XBOX, REAL LOW RES SCANLINES

**matteus** · 07-21-2009, 07:13 AM

No offense intended but this seems the most pointless project ever...

Just use a Mini-ITX VIA EPIA or something along those lines in streamline case...

**SodeePawp17** · 07-21-2009, 01:24 PM

Cool idea I just learned what an emulator was a few days ago xD

**ThugsRook** · 07-21-2009, 02:28 PM

Originally Posted by kool kitty89

I don't have any video plugin selected, and there's none to select with the straight downloaded version I've got. (and I haven't downloaded one) It's all stock, blocky 320x224 (depending on game) video. (occasionally I play in "TV mode, but this doesn't seem to effect things)

With other processes going on, I don't notice any glitches until around 30% of CPU is utilized elsewhere (starting with a little bit of frame rate drop and audio lag, then some audio artifacting/choppiness and lots of choppiness by the time it's around 50%)

sounds like youre running on an old laptop. my p4 1.6ghz laptop aint so great either

using an Intel Core2 Duo and an nVidia GF7100...
scale4x plugin needs 600mhz, hq4x needs 1700mhz, to keep a constant 60fps.
these plugins offer extreme quality, but i personally think hq4x is very overrated especially concidering how much extra cpu power it needs.

a good benchtest is the Phantasy Star II looping title screen. as it pans towards the south it can get really choppy on underpowered systems.

this is what my games look like using the scale4x plugin...

**TmEE** · 07-21-2009, 02:45 PM

Get a 486DX2, Genecyst vx.xx and off you go, more or less full speed emulation with lot of misemulation :P
Or go step higher and use a P166 and Kgen98, you'll get more or less full speed emulation and quite some misemulation.
ooooor go step even higher, get a 233MHz P2 and Gens, you'll get more or less full speed emulation with majority of games working quite nicely...
ooooooooooor use 400MHz Celeron and Kega Fusion and get most accurate MD emulation to date...

These speeds only indicate MD, if you want MCD, add at least 200 to the MHz count, and if you want 32X, add some 500 more. That is, if you want full speed emulation and no useless screen filters

**runback22** · 07-21-2009, 03:32 PM

Thugsrook, after seeing those pics I installed the plug ins and was floored by how much better it looks.....This makes it hard to actually play my genesis now...I am using an ASUS 1000HE netbook which has a 1.66ghz atom processor and I can get consistent 60 fps using the 2x plug in and 30fps on the 4x....not to bad...

**ThugsRook** · 07-21-2009, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by runback22

Thugsrook, after seeing those pics I installed the plug ins and was floored by how much better it looks.....This makes it hard to actually play my genesis now...I am using an ASUS 1000HE netbook which has a 1.66ghz atom processor and I can get consistent 60 fps using the 2x plug in and 30fps on the 4x....not to bad...

youre very welcome

the Intel Atom is a nice little package, but the lack of dedicated vid card really hurts it when using the plugins

still, its a nice little platform

KEGA is great for many reasons, but the extra quality from the plugins (not to mention the better sound quality) is what keeps me away from using the real hardware

keep in mind for the plugins....
2x will be 640x480
3x will be 960x720
4x will be 1280x960

there is very little point in using a plugin that is larger then your screen size, cause itll just get shrunken down to screen size.

**chinitosoccer** · 07-21-2009, 04:37 PM

Originally Posted by ThugsRook

No offense but IMO those genesis/SMS games look horrible with all those filters, stretching and odd resolutions, thats not the way those games were ment to look like.
The Xbox + Emotia scan converter final result is much more faithfull to the real hardware and is cheaper

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